I've just rehomed a 7 month old golden lab. He is absolutely gorgeous, so loving and good as gold in the house. However, on walks he barks at people and dogs. In just a few days we have almost fully trained him out of barking at people but his reaction to dogs is very severe (teeth showing and a huge amount of noise) and once he starts barking it is impossible to calm him down until the other dog is out of sight. If a very calm dog allows him to approach he will stop barking and start to play. However most dogs obviously feel threatened by his behaviour and act aggressively in response, which makes his fear worse. Would it be a good idea to introduce him to dogs that I know will react calmly, in a controlled environment? My mum's lab is very very calm, has never shown aggression at any point in his life, so this interaction might make my boy feel a bit easier around other dogs? I feel that he was completely unsocialised by his previous owner, any new experience has him acting very guarded and tense. Has anyone dealt with a similar problem?? Thanks in advance!
Hi , and welcome ! I also rehomed a fearful dog , a rescue terrier . I would absolutely recommend walking with someone you know who has a calm , friendly dog , your Mums dog sounds ideal . With this problem, the key is not to saturate the dog with his fears, as this will make him worse , so slowly slowly is the key . My rescue girl was also not socialised , and she was a much older dog when we took her on, so it can be done with patience and understanding . Thank you for taking on a rescue dog , and good luck .
I agree with @kateincornwall take things easy especially if you have only rehomed your lad in the last few weeks. It really can some time for dogs to adjust to their new home and environment. We rehomed a 5 year old dog a few years ago. He was very reactive, especially to the sort of things you tend to socialise young pups too..so men in hats, bikes, other dogs. This is particularly evident when on his lead. He is not aggressive just struggles to control his compulsion to say hello to other dogs and people. This presented as quite frantic and frustrated barking/lunging. To other people this looks quite aggressive. We took professional advice and worked with a training technique called "LAT" which means "Look at That". This works through counter conditioning of existing behaviours. Basically this is a reward based system which gradually helps the dog "rewire" his response to what we call triggers ie another dog approaching on a lead. In the first instance however, distance is your best friend. Work out the distance that your dog is comfortable with an approaching trigger and stick to that. Teach a "turn about cue", this a really useful in helping your dog turn away quickly. Try to stay relaxed and calm yourself (I know, easier said then done!) It is amazing how much of our tension translates down a lead to the dog. A couple of links you might find helpful: Turnabout game: LAT training:
